GRILLED SEA BASS WITH CRAB BUTTER, CRISP POTATO SKINS & CHARRED TOMATO SALAD

This little sea bass number is the sort of dish that is totally restaurant worthy in appearance, relatively healthy (the crab butter doesn't count because a bit of butter never does harm) and packed full of wonderful, fresh flavours that convey a sense of spring on the horizon! I adored the combo of the sea bass and crab and the potato skins were a total revelation, a much faster way to get crispy potatoes by just focusing on the skins in the roasting process, while the charred tomato and spring onion salad added a wonderful zing to the dish when all plated up.

One of the best fish suppers I have made in a while and definitely added to the recipe rotation!

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CRISP POTATO SKINS

• 750g Maris Piper potatoes
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• Handful thyme sprigs , plus a few leaves to serve
• Good sprinkle of flaky sea salt

FOR THE SEA BASS

• 1 salad onion , white part finely chopped
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 2 sea bass fillets (or another fish from the counter that can be eaten with its skin on), descaled
• 50g butter , softened
• 100g pot prepared white and brown crabmeat (I used this Fifty Fifty mix from Waitrose)
• olive oil

FOR THE CHARRED TOMATO & ONION SALAD

• 2 bunches salad onions , trimmed
• 270g pack mixed small tomatoes , halved
• Freshly torn basil
• 2 tsp white wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• ½ tsp wholegrain or Dijon mustard
• good pinch of golden caster sugar

METHOD

• Heat your oven to 180C. 
• Cut the ends from the potatoes and keep. 
• Cut the peel and 1cm flesh from the potatoes, leaving blocky barrels of potato behind. 
• On a shallow baking tray, massage the skins and potato ends with the oil, salt and thyme sprigs. 
• Roast for 30 mins, turning halfway through, until tender and starting to crisp. 
• Set aside until later.

• Next up the charred tomato salad.
• Heat a non-stick frying pan until very hot. 
• Cut the salad onions in half lengthways and cook for about 2½ mins each side, cut-side first, until charred and tender. 
• Transfer to a plate while you prepare the rest of the salad.
• Cook the tomatoes, cut-side down, for 30 secs-1 min until just softened and caramelised, then set aside with the onions.
• To make the dressing, put all the ingredients into a jar with some seasoning and shake well. 
• When ready to serve toss the basil, dressing, onions and tomatoes until well combined.

• Next up simmer the salad onion with the vinegar until reduced to 1 tsp or so. 
• Strain the vinegar into the butter (keep the onion), add the crab and some seasoning, and mash well. 
• Chill until needed.
• Heat grill to high – make sure it’s really hot before you cook the fish. Slash the skin of each fillet three times and season. 
• Put the potatoes under the grill for 2 mins or until hot and starting to crisp again, then lay the fish fillets on top. (If your grill doesn’t go very high, fry your fillets, skin-side down, in a non-stick frying pan to crisp it up before putting them on top of your potatoes.) 
• Pour olive oil over the fish, and grill for 4 mins or until opaque with the skin crisping.
• Dollop ¼ of the crab butter onto each fillet, then grill for 1 min until the butter begins to melt. 
• Plate up the fish with the potato skins, a few thyme leaves and the charred onion & tomato salad.